Saturday, March 30, 2013

Pink Geranium Tea Room


Caroline Short here. Welcome back to Bloomfield. My tea room has been very busy lately, and I’ve hardly had time to think straight. What with all the guests we’ve had this Spring and the new recipes Lida Mae is cooking up, we find ourselves a coming and a going.

Seems the younger men in town steer clear of us, but the ones who’ve lived here a long time know how good Lida Mae’s cooking is. They have no qualms at all about eating lunch here on a regular basis.

The Pink Geranium Tea Room is a little bit feminine with all the pink in the napkins, candles, and flowers, but the food is hardy enough for any man’s palate. Of course I couldn’t do any of this without my sweet daughter Selena. She gave up a wonderful job in the city to come home and help me run the Old Town Inn after Clint passed on a few years ago. Seems God needed him in Heaven, so that’s where he is now.

Lida Mae is the main cook, but I’m the pie and other desserts expert. You’d guess that by the few inches I’ve added to my hips since my high school days. We'll share our recipes with you in the coming weeks, but if you would like one now, see the instructions below. We even decided to have a give-away this month of some of those goodies.

On special occasions we plan special menus and our tea room is a favorite place for the Bloomfield Garden Club ladies to have lunch, meetings, parties and whatever else they can think of. Other groups meet here, too such as our Bible study group.

This is our typical menu for Valentine’s Day and hostesses may choose from it to plan menus for their own special occasions.
The Pink Geranium Valentine’s Day Menu 
Salads:  
Chicken with Craisens and Walnuts
Spinach salad with Strawberries and Walnuts
Fresh Fruit Salad with Lida Mae’s creamy dressing
Soups: Served with Fresh Fruit Salad
Soup of the Day: Creamy Tomato Basil
Cream  of  Asparagus 
Sandwiches :Served with  Bread of choice and a Fruit Salad  Chicken Salad
Assorted Finger Sandwiches with Tuna salad, chicken salad,
                          cucumber on flavored cream cheese
Turkey with Cranberry Relish 
Entrees : Served with Fruit Salad
Ham, Bacon, Cheese Quiche
Spinach Quiche
Chicken Crepes with Raspberry Sauce
Chicken  Cordon Bleu
Grilled Chicken Breast
Chopped Steak with Sauteed Red Bell Pepper and Onions
Desserts
Cherry Cheesecake
Red Velvet Cake
Strawberry Shortcake
Scones with  Devonshire Cream and Fruit Jam
Pecan, Chocolate, or Blueberry Pie
Cherry Cobbler or Pie
Beverages:
Raspberry Ice Tea, Sweet Tea, Green Tea with Pomegranate.
Coffee
Assorted Hot Teas  Flavored, Plain, Herbal)

Specialty Breads: Croissant, Rye, Wheat, Pumpernickel , White

If you'd like a recipe for any of the menu items, tell me in your comment and I'll be glad to share. Be sure to leave your email address so I can send them to you.

Leave a comment and tell us what your favorite menu or food item is. We'd love your input for new ideas for the tea room. Each comment will give you a chance for this month's drawing of a box of goodies from Caroline's kitchen or Helen's bakery. Follow us by email for another chance. 

8 comments:

  1. Oh! I'd love to have the recipe for chicken salad with craisins and walnuts. I'm looking forward to meeting many new friends in Bloomfield.

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  2. We have a real-life tearoom (actually, two of them) here in Mount Dora, Florida. My favorite is called The Garden Gate. It isn't all pink, but it is very feminine--yet men love to eat there because the food is so delicious. I imagine that's the case with the Pink Geranium, too. My favorite menu item on your list is the Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Walnuts. I think you need to add a Broccoli/Chicken/Cheese casserole like the Garden Gate offers for the, umm, heartier eaters in the crowd.

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  3. Oh, I'd love the recipe for one of your quiches. They sound wonderful!

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  4. Vie, I need your email address so I can enter you in the drawing and send you a copy of the chicken salad recipe.

    Marti, this is our "Valentine's Menu" and doesn't include all our dishes. We have daily lunch specials. I love the Broccoli/Chicken/Cheese casserole and made it for my family a lot when the boys were home. I'll be sure to include it. I love the Spinach Salad, but I have to use Mandarin orange slices instead of strawberries since I'm allergic to strawberries.

    Cara, I'll send you the recipe for the Spinach one with Swiss cheese and ham. It's my favorite.

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  5. I l♥ve cucumber sandwiches. Ü

    Would you please share your Spinach Quiche and Chicken Crepes with Raspberry Sauce recipes.

    Thanks!

    cindialtman(at)gmail(dot)com

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  6. I absolutely love cucumber & cream cheese sandwiches. The menu looks delicious and hope one of these days I can come for a visit.
    Thanks for entering me in your giveaway.
    Janet E.
    von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com

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  7. Ok, so I am a dessert girl. Gotta eat to keep up my girlish figure, right? Anyway, I'd love the recipes for the Cherry Cheesecake and the Red Velvet Cake, hmm can you tell I like cake. LOL
    Jasmine A.
    montanamade(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. When I go to a Tea Room, I want something colorful and tasty that is light in calories. Your salads sound wonderful. I also like to eat a quiche with a slice of fruit or some grapes on the side.
    JWIsley(at)aol(dot)com

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